Supporting the Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) System Through Partnership, Advocacy, and Practice Quality

At ACWA, we’re committed to ensuring that every child and young person in out-of-home care is given the stability, safety, and support they deserve to thrive.

We work closely with OOHC providers across NSW to build capability, advocate for system improvements and implement policy reform. We do this by communicating regularly with our members, key stakeholders and the broader sector, facilitating knowledge exchange, showcasing practice excellence and providing learning and development opportunities.

Our focus is on working together with the government and non-government sector to pursue a responsive and connected system that provides appropriate support to children and families when they need it most.

Our Work in OOHC Reform

As the NSW Government undertakes significant reform across the OOHC system, ACWA is playing a central role, collaborating with government and sector partners on the design and delivery of a system that meets the evolving needs of children, carers, and care providers. We are a trusted voice at the table, driving forward solutions that place the best interests of children at the heart of policy and practice.

As part of the current reform agenda, ACWA is:

• Collaborating with the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and sector stakeholders to help shape new service models that better meet the needs of vulnerable children.
• Advocating for the reduction of High-Cost Emergency Arrangements (HCEAs) by promoting stable, therapeutic, and community-based alternatives.
• Supporting efforts to address vacancies in Intensive Therapeutic Care (ITC), ensuring availability and access for those with high and complex needs.

These actions reflect our strategic focus on advancing advocacy, collaboration and cross-sector partnerships, and on ensuring evidence-informed practice across the sector.

Future of Foster Care

ACWA’s Future of Foster Care initiative reflects our commitment to strengthening leadership, capability and innovation across the sector. 

In September 2024, we released two papers that explore the feasibility of continuing to rely on a steady supply of foster carers and highlight a range of possible alternative approaches. 

Drawing on data and insights provided to us in a report by The Demographics Group, our paper, NSW Foster Carer Demographic Outlook: Impacts on the availability of foster carers, highlights critical demographic trends that point to a shrinking pool of potential foster carers over the next ten years.

The Future of Foster Care in NSW, co-authored by Lumenia, outlines twelve steps to reforming foster care in NSW, with a focus on delivering the best possible outcomes for children, young people, and families.

Key priorities in the report include:

• Increasing support for relative and kinship carers, so that more children can remain safely connected to family, culture, and community.
• Modernising the foster care model to reflect the changing fabric of Australian society, with more inclusive, adaptable, and culturally safe care options.
• Improving stability and long-term outcomes through reforms in carer recruitment, training, and support.
• Strengthening the voice and experience of carers and children in decision-making processes and system design.

Supporting Young People to Transition from Care

Young people have better outcomes after leaving care when preparation for independence starts early and is shaped around their individual needs. Effective transition planning is grounded in each young person’s goals, relationships and developmental readiness, rather than being driven by system or compliance requirements.

Strong outcomes are also linked to access to comprehensive aftercare support. This includes practical assistance, social and emotional support, cultural connection, and opportunities to build everyday living skills that enable young people to navigate adulthood with confidence.

While some young people are ready and motivated to live independently, others experience a more abrupt transition out of care. Many report not being meaningfully involved in planning for adulthood, and too often leave without consistent support or a trusted adult to turn to.

ACWA is working in partnership with members, young people, peak bodies and government to strengthen transition and aftercare supports. This includes:

• reviewing recent Australian evidence on effective approaches and young people’s experiences
• consulting with members to identify what is working well and where barriers exist
• developing practical strategies and solutions to support improved, consistent practice across the sector

This work is focused on ensuring every young person leaving care has the support, stability and connections they need to move into adulthood.

Understanding Carer Availability and Utilisation Across Out of Home Care

ACWA worked closely with the Department of Communities and Justice and our members who provide OOHC services, to develop an accurate picture of authorised carer households that were available to take a placement at a specific point in time. Our analysis showed that as at 31 March 2024, there were:

• 4,776 authorised NGO carer households on the OCG Carers Register
• Only 149 households (3.1% of all carer households) were actually available to take a placement, of which 31 were in a placement matching/transition process; the remainder had authorisation restrictions or preferences in place that limited their ability to be matched to a placement.

Through interviews with NGOs we learnt that NGOs were employing several creative strategies to support existing carers and to recruit new carers. All agencies reported that the increasing cost of living and the need for two incomes have led to fewer applications for new carers, contributed to carers no longer being available or having restrictions on level of availability, and challenges engaging time-poor carers.

Submission to 2024 System Review regarding carer utilisation with home based PSP providers.

Supporting Carers for Placement Stability

Research shows that the support carers receive, and their satisfaction as carers, are large contributing factors to stable placements for children and young people.

In 2024 ACWA undertook an extensive carer survey to understand how carers can be supported for better outcomes for children in their care. The results of this survey, which attracted over 860 responses, are being used to inform the development of practical tools, resources and training that will assist practitioners work with carers towards greater placement stability.


Through keeping a spotlight on the increasing challenge in attracting and supporting carers, we are helping build a future-focused foster care system, one that recognises diversity, prioritises connection, and is fit for the complex realities of today’s families.

IPART Out-of-Home Care Costs and Pricing Review

ACWA worked closely with member organisations throughout the 2024 to 2025 IPART review of out of home care costs and pricing. Our sector wide engagement ensured that providers’ real cost pressures and quality requirements were clearly represented. We advocated for a pricing approach that reflects the true cost of delivering safe, effective and relationship based care, and for IPART to assess costs consistently across government and non government service delivery.

Read more about ACWA’s IPART advocacy, approach and submissions here.

Workforce Development

In parallel, we are tackling the urgent issue of workforce recruitment and retention across the OOHC sector. The sustainability of the care system relies on a skilled, supported, and resilient workforce.

ACWA’s Centre for Community Welfare Training (CCWT) plays a key role in building that capability. Through high-quality, accessible training programs, CCWT supports frontline practitioners, carers, and service leaders with:

• Specialist training in trauma-informed care, casework, and child protection
• Cultural competence and inclusive practice development
• Carer and staff onboarding, professional development, and leadership training
• Responsive and practical resources to support workforce wellbeing and retention

By equipping the sector with the knowledge and tools to meet today’s challenges, we are investing in a stronger, more sustainable future for out-of-home care in NSW.

National Advocacy

ACWA participates in a range of national advocacy initiatives through which we are connected to fellow Peaks, sector leaders, academics, government agencies and other stakeholders across Australia. Together, we strive to highlight systemic issues and promote solutions that aim to deliver improved services and better outcomes for children, young people, their families and carers. 

Find out more by visiting these websites:

Our Strategic Commitment

Over the next two years, ACWA’s OOHC work will continue to support our strategic priorities by:

• Putting children and families first, ensuring all reforms serve their best interests.
• Building sector capability to respond to current and future challenges.
• Fostering collaborative partnerships across government, NGOs, and communities.
• Embedding strong governance, transparency, and evidence-based approaches in all our work.

Together, we are helping to shape a system that is not only safe, but restorative, one that values connection, stability, and long-term wellbeing.
For more on our OOHC initiatives and latest reports, please click links below